Whitman reacts to planned anti-gay protest

Teachers will use event as a teaching moment

Officials at Walt Whitman High School are hoping to use a planned anti-gay protest of the school later this month as an opportunity to teach students about civil rights and the life of the poet Walt Whitman.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, nationally known for their anti-homosexuality protests, are planning to picket on April 24 outside Walt Whitman High, named after the Civil War-era writer who may have been gay.

"My initial reaction was that I couldn't believe they were really going to do it," said Whitman Principal Alan Goodwin. "But then my second reaction was that I hoped they wouldn't."

The Topeka, Kan., church has drawn attention in recent years for protesting the funerals of military veterans and for their picket signs—including "Thank God for 9/11" and "Thank God for Katrina." Members of the church believe that the military deaths and natural disasters were God's punishment for an immoral nation.

The church's Web site claims that Whitman would support wounded soldiers during the Civil War, then attempt to take advantage of them. The fact that Maryland school officials would name a school after Whitman, the site says, "certainly explains A LOT about Maryland, and specifically explains why God hates them so much."

Instead of turning a blind eye to the protest, Goodwin said teachers are brainstorming ways to use it as a teaching moment for students. Government classes may focus on civil rights issues, he said, and English classes may place added emphasis on the works of Whitman.

"A lot of students attend Walt Whitman, but don't know a lot about Walt Whitman," he said. "This could be an opportunity to change that."

Sue Kantor, co-president of the school's PTSA, said while she disagrees personally with the group's viewpoints, she agrees with Goodwin's plan to handle the situation.

"We all just want to make sure the students have a smooth day in school," she said. "I have a lot of confidence in [Goodwin's] approach."

Goodwin said he was notified of the protest by a University of Maryland-Baltimore County student who had stumbled across the church's schedule of planned pickets. On March 24, Goodwin sent a letter home to parents alerting them of the possible protest.

"The protesters will not be allowed on school grounds, and there will be a police presence to ensure that our school remains safe from such an intrusion and that there is no disruption to school operations," he wrote.

Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Steve Simon said he was not aware of any protesters from the church ever picketing a county public school before.

Other protests planned for the same day in the area include one of the federal courthouse in Baltimore, and of Roland Park Country School, also in Baltimore. According to published reports, the group often declares that they will protest at an event or location, but never show up.